Castle of the Faithful Wives Reader’s Theater Play Script for Kids ~ Sample

The Castle of the Faithful Wives-Reader’s Theater Script for Kids

CHARACTERS

NARRATOR

Lady-in-Waiting / also Madame Treasurer

Royal Tax Collector

Nobleperson #1

Duke of Weisenberg

Nobleperson #2

King Konrad III

Queen Gertrude

Court Attendant #1

Court Attendant #2

Court Attendant #3

King’s Soldier #1

King’s Soldier #2

King’s Soldier #3

Guard

Duchess Uta

Citizen #1

Citizen #2 (female)

Citizen #3

Citizen #4

Messenger

Children of Weisenberg (non-speaking; may be a 2nd role played by Court Attendants)

Scene 1 – Royal court of King Konrad and Queen Gertrude

[Stage set: The stage is divided in thirds. The first area presents the royal court of KING KONRAD and QUEEN GERTRUDE. In the middle is the gate to the Castle of Weisenberg, and the gate area is further partitioned with one area presenting outside the gate and the other area presenting inside the gate. On the final third, the interior of Weisenberg Castle is presented. (See Performance Notes for further suggestions on the three stage sets.)]

[At the opening of the play, all players onstage are frozen. KING KONRAD and QUEEN GERTRUDE sit on two thrones, made with large, decorated chairs with high backs. LADY-IN-WAITING stands beside QUEEN GERTRUDE’s throne. Next to QUEEN GERTRUDE is ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR. KING’S SOLDIER #1, KING’S SOLDIER #2, and KING’S SOLDIER #3 (together, called “SOLDIERS”) are beside KING KONRAD’s throne, with KING’S SOLDIER #1 being the closest, then SOLDER #2, then KING’S SOLDIER #3. COURT ATTENDANT #1, COURT ATTENDANT #2, COURT ATTENDANT #3 and COURT ATTENDANT #4 (together, called “COURT ATTENDANTS”) stand in small clusters loosely forming an arc across the rest of the stage. In the center of the stage, NOBLEPERSON #1 holds out a small bag of coins. NOBLEPERSON #2 stands behind NOBLEPERSON #1.]

[NARRATOR stands in one of the far front corners of the stage.]

NARRATOR: Hello, everyone. The play you are about to see is “The Castle of the Faithful Wives.” It’s a German legend. A legend tells a story from something that really happened. This story really happened many centuries ago, in the year 1140.

[NARRATOR steps forward.]

NARRATOR:(clears throat) Long ago, in the time of your (each time the word “great” is uttered, the Narrator raises a finger, counting eight “greats”) Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great–

LADY-IN-WAITING: (unfreezing, to Narrator) Oh, come on! I may be a Lady-in- Waiting, but there’s a limit to how long even I can wait! Can’t you speed this along?

ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR: (unfreezing, to Narrator) Yes, please! As Royal Tax Collector, I have the first line in this play. And if we don’t hurry up, I might forget it.

NARRATOR: No problem. (to audience) All of you just imagine I said “Great” twenty-nine times, when referring to your Great… etcetera, etcetera, etcetera… Grandparents.

LADY-IN-WAITING: You could just say, “almost a thousand years ago.”

NARRATOR: We’ll never get this play started if you keep interrupting.

LADY-IN-WAITING: (annoyed) Sor-RY! Just trying to be helpful.

[LADY IN WAITING and ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR refreeze.]

NARRATOR: (to Lady-in-Waiting, emphatically pronouncing the capitalized words) ALMOST A THOUSAND YEARS AGO…

LADY IN WAITING: Was that so hard?

NARRATOR: As I was saying … In those days, each Duke had his own castle. Not as big as a King’s castle, of course, but a castle just the same. It had a drawbridge and everything. Farmers gave their produce to the Duke, and the Duke paid taxes- or “tributes”, as they were called back then- to the King. (clears throat) Ah! Here’s (gestures to the Duke) the Duke of Weisenberg (pronounce: WISE-en-berg) He’s come to pay his tribute to King Konrad the Third.

[All players on stage unfreeze. DUKE OF WEISENBERG enters the stage, and stands in wait several feet behind NOBLEPERSON #1. NOBLEPERSON #1 bows or curtsies to KING KONRAD and QUEEN GERTRUDE, drops a bag of coins in ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR’S open palm, and exits. ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR shakes the tiny bag of coins by his or her ear, sighs contentedly at the sound of the money, and places the bag on a small table where other small bags of money are already sitting.]

ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR: Next!

NARRATOR: Really? You were worried about forgetting that line?

[Heads of all on stage dramatically turn to NARRATOR. During the conversation that follows between NARRATOR and ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR, all other characters’ heads on stage follow back and forth between the speakers, as if watching a tennis match.]

ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR: It’s a lot of pressure having the first line, okay?

NARRATOR: Technically, I had the first line.

ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR: Yeah, but it’s not like what the narrator says actually counts in a play.

NARRATOR: (upset) Says who?

ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR: Says me, and everyone. But whatever…

LADY-IN-WAITING: Still waiting over here…

ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR: AS I was saying. (loudly and dramatically, raises hand next to mouth, so it looks like shouting) NE-EXT!

[NARRATOR sits down on small chair in an out-of-the-way corner of the stage, folding hands in lap, and looks on at the play.]

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: (steps forward) Do you mean me? (points with thumb to Nobleperson #2, behind) Or this guy?

ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR: Yes, you. You, the Duke of Weisenberg and your lovely money bag are up next!

[With palm open flat, ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR makes a beckoning gesture by rapidly closing and opening his fingers.

[NOBLEPERSON #2 backs into the crowd.]

[DUKE OF WEISENBERG plunks down a coin bag, much larger than the ones sitting on the table, into ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR’s hand. It makes a jangling sound as the bag is set down. ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR’s hand drops at the weight of the coin bag.]

ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR: Not bad! Not bad at all. (leans over the bag of money, seems to breathe it in contentedly) Ahh! (to the audience) Gotta love it.

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: (turns and bows to King Konrad) Your Majesty, it is an honor to see you.

KING KONRAD: Of course. And how do you and yours fare at the Castle Weisenberg?

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: I can’t complain.

KING KONRAD: (gesturing to the bag of coins) No shortage of gold or silver in your treasury, I see.

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: Thankfully, no.

KING KONRAD: (jovially) Good times for us both.

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: So it is. (moving over to Queen Gertrude) And my Queen, you don’t look a day older than when you were a princess, if you don’t mind my saying so.

[DUKE OF WEISENBERG bows deeply to QUEEN GERTRUDE. As DUKE OF WEISENBERG does so, he makes a sweeping gesture with his right arm, and the tips of his fingers brush against one of the Queen Gertrude’s shoes.]

KING KONRAD: (stands and points to the Duke of Weisenberg, fuming mad) How dare you insult my Queen Gertrude in this way!

KING KONRAD: The Duke! When he bowed before you, his hand touched your shoe!

QUEEN GERTRUDE: What? It did?

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: It did?

COURT ATTENDANT #1: It did?

KING KONRAD: Yes, we all saw it.

COURT ATTENDANT #2: We did?

[Note- for the next few lines the word “CROWD” refers to anyone onstage who is not KING KONRAD or QUEEN GERTRUDE.]

[CROWD turns to each other in confused murmurings.]

COURT ATTENDANT #3: Did you see it?

COURT ATTENDANT #4: See what?

COURT ATTENDANT #3: The Duke touched the Queen’s shoe.

COURT ATTENDANT #4: And a very pretty shoe it is!

COURT ATTENDANT #2: (taps head of Court Attendant #4) No, dingbat! No one can touch the Queen! Even her shoe!

COURT PERSON #3: Everyone knows that!

COURT ATTENDANT #1: Well, I’m sorry to say, I didn’t see it.

COURT ATTENDANT #2: Me, neither.

KING KONRAD: (loud & threatening) We all saw it!

[CROWD is instantly quiet.]

KING KONRAD: We saw it! Didn’t we?

[CROWD changes its tune, now emphatically agreeing with KING KONRAD.]

COURT ATTENDANT #1: Absolutely!

COURT ATTENDANT #2: Indeed!

COURT ATTENDANT #3: Without a doubt!

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: With all due respect, Sire. Even if I did touch the Queen’s shoe, it was most unintentional. (to Queen Gertrude) My Queen. (to King Konrad) My King. I’m truly sorry for any offense my carelessness may have caused.

QUEEN GERTRUDE: There now, Konrad. The Duke of Weisenberg has apologized. Let’s just forget it ever happened, shall we?

KING KONRAD: It’s too late.

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: What do you mean, “too late”? Was I supposed to apologize before I even knew there was anything to apologize FOR?

[CROWD chuckles quietly at DUKE OF WEISENBERG’s retort.]

KING KONRAD: You think you’re so smart! The Duke of Weisenberg, indeed. They should call you UNWISE-en-berg!

[CROWD gasps dramatically, each one holding one hand over his or her mouth.]

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: What did you say?

KING KONRAD: (emphasizing each syllable) UNWISE-en-berg.

[CROWD gasps again.]

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: (sternly) Take that back!

KING KONRAD: (mocking) “Take that back.”

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: Well, if THAT’s how it’s going to be (snatches the money bag out of Royal Tax Collector’s hand) I WILL take it back. All of it! (to Queen Gertrude) A thousand pardons, my Queen, for my inadvertent shoe shine. But I am taking my bag of tribute and going home!

DUKE OF WEISENBERG:(from offstage) And don’t expect the people of (emphasizing each syllable) WISE-en-berg to pay taxes to the Crown EVER again!

[CROWD gasps again.]

[ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR faints dramatically, collapsing onto to ground, landing partially on top of LADY IN WAITING’s foot. His being on her foot is not obvious to the audience, however. It is just a set up for a later joke/line.]

KING KONRAD: (calls offstage) Oh yeah!? ’ll see how he likes it when my soldiers surround his castle for an all-out siege! No one gets away with not paying tribute to THIS crown! (to audience) NO ONE! Mark my words.

KING KONRAD: (sweeps his arm around the stage in an all-encompassing gesture) All of you, leave us!

[Everyone rushes off, except the unconscious ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR and LADY IN WAITING.]

[As NOBLEPERSON #2 leaves, he/she sets a small bag of money on ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR’s head.]

KING KONRAD: (to Lady-in-Waiting) Well, what are you waiting for?

LADY-IN-WAITING: (looks down at Royal Tax Collector) He’s on my shoe.

[QUEEN GERTRUDE stands up from her throne. She lifts the coin bag off the ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR’s head, then helps roll THE ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR off of LADY-IN-WAITING’s foot.]

[LADY-IN-WAITING points to herself, then to offstage with her thumb, as if asking QUEEN GERTRUDE if she should leave. QUEEN GERTRUDE nods. LADY-IN-WAITING points to the collapsed ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR. QUEEN GERTRUDE nods. LADY-IN-WAITING rolls ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR off the stage. Actor in the role of ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR can help by barrel rolling, while not making it obvious that he/she is assisting his/her removal.]

KING KONRAD: (yells off to the side at the Narrator) And you there, what are you still doing here?

NARRATOR: Me?

KING KONRAD: Yes, you! You’re part of this play, aren’t you? Get off the stage.

NARRATOR: (bends right arm, puts hand in a fist, and quickly pulls her/his elbow down in a celebratory gesture) Yes! I’m part of the play! I knew it!

[NARRATOR exits, gleefully.]

[DUKE OF WEISENBERG peeks out from behind the curtain, puts his hand to his ear, indicating that he is eavesdropping.]

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: (to audience) SHH!

KING KONRAD: Soldiers! Come quickly!

[SOLDIERS #1, #2 & #3 enter and come to attention.]

SOLDIER #1:You called, sire?

KING KONRAD:We’re laying siege to UNWISE-en-berg.

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: (alarmed, to the audience) Uh-oh!

[DUKE OF WEISENBERG quickly ducks off stage.]

KING’S SOLDIER #1: Who?

KING KONRAD: (slowly) UNWISE-en-berg.

[SOLDIERS #1, #2 & #3, together called “SOLDIERS,” look at each other and shrug.]

QUEEN GERTRUDE: (sits back down on her throne) He means Weisenberg. The Duke of Weistenberg’s castle.

KING’S SOLDIER #1: Oh!

KING’S SOLDIER #3: Cool place.

KING’S SOLDIER #2: Road trip!

KING KONRAD: Assemble the troops. We march at dawn!

[SOLDIERS march off in the other direction.]

QUEEN GERTRUDE: My Lord, stop for a moment? Don’t you think this may be a bit of an over-reaction?

KING KONRAD: (touches his forehead with one of his hands as if he has a headache) We cannot allow it! Today, the Duke of Weisenberg brushes your shoe. Tomorrow, he may try to grab the whole kingdom. (points with one finger into the air) We must nip this in the bud!

QUEEN GERTRUDE: Oh, for goodness sake! The fellow was paying us tribute. LOTS of it! Now he’s taken his money bag and stormed off in a huff. And next the two of you are going to get into a siege-thing? Why go there?

KING KONRAD: It’s a point of honor!

QUEEN GERTRUDE: I don’t see the honor. Or the point!

KING KONRAD: The POINT is, we MUST surround the Duke’s castle. A King never goes back on his word. If I call “siege” and then I say “never mind,” no one will take me seriously ever again.

QUEEN GERTRUDE: And they’ll take us more seriously when they find out the siege of Weisenberg started over a shoe?

KING KONRAD: I didn’t expect you to understand!

QUEEN GERTRUDE: You were right. I don’t!

KING KONRAD: Tomorrow we march and surround the Duke’s castle. No one will be able to get in or out of it. Sooner or later, the people in the castle will have to surrender!

[GUARD stands at the “gate”. (See Performance Notes for more detail.)]

[DUKE OF WEISENBERG rushes onstage.]

GUARD: (calls down to Duke of Weisenberg) Hark, who goes down there?

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: It’s me. The Duke.

GUARD: Ah, I didn’t recognize you. You look so much shorter from up here. (looks behind him, hand to mouth, in a gesture to amplify voice) Open the gate! Our Duke has returned.

[The gate door is opened and DUKE OF WEISENBERG enters through it into the courtyard. (SeePerformance Notes for more detail.)]

[CITIZENS enter into the courtyard from the other side of the stage, murmuring among themselves. The DUCHESS UTA approaches to greet DUKE OF WEISENBERG. She carries a basket with a cloth cover. DUKE OF WEISENBERG holds the bag of tribute behind his back.]

DUCHESS UTA: (quick kiss on the cheek) Why dear husband, you’re home early. I thought you were staying overnight with all the other Dukes at King Konrad’s castle for the usual tribute feast.

DUKE OF WEISENBERG:There was a change of plans.

DUCHESS UTA: (sees the money in the Duke’s hand and cuts off the Duke) Darling, isn’t that our tribute bag for the King and Queen?

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: It was.

DUCHESS UTA:“Was”? What’s going on?

DUKE OF WEISENBERG: (gestures to all) People of Weisenberg, gather ‘round. I have a few announcements to make.

DUKE OF WEISENBERG:(speaks in a rush) The bad news is Weisenberg Castle will be under siege before breakfast.

DUCHESS UTA: Hip, Hip, H– WHAT?

[CITIZENS, in fear, pull CHILDREN close to them. Again, the following lines are said quickly.]

CITIZEN #4: Under siege?

CITIZEN #3: What did he say?

CITIZEN #1: I thought he said something about breakfast.

CITIZEN #2: Can someone move? I still can’t see!

DUCHESS UTA: My dear, a siege by the King? I think we deserve an explanation.

[NARRATOR enters.]

NARRATOR: The Duke of Weisenberg told everyone what had happened during his visit to the royal palace.

[DUKE OF WEISENBERG pantomimes mouthing words silently: his arrival, his placing the money in the ROYAL TAX COLLECTOR’s hands, bowing to the KING KONRAD, and then bowing to the QUEEN GERTRUDE, touching the DUCHESS’s shoe to mimic his accidental brush with the QUEEN’s shoe, shrugging his shoulders, mimicking an angry KONRAD.]

DUCHESS UTA: We’ll show the King how UNWISE he was to think he could lay siege on our castle! With our secret tunnels, we’ll be able to restock our food pantry stocks all we want. We can hold out as long as it takes!

[KING’S SOLDIERS march onstage.]

DUCHESS UTA: That was quick.

[CITIZENS of Weisenberg huddle. SOLDIERS march up to the castle wall/gate.]

NARRATOR: The people of Weisenberg quickly organized their messengers to escort their merchants safely out through their (whispers) SECRET TUNNELS.

GUARD: (calling to Soldiers) Fellows! Remember to keep your eye out for that purple unicorn riding a firefly. Coming from over THERE! (points offstage; Soldiers pivet their heads to that direction) I’m taking a bathroom break. (climbs down and exits stage)